Improvement in supporters for artificial legs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. YVESTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPORTERS FOR ARTIFICIAL LEGS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,662, dated December 27, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. WESTON, of the city and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain Improved Self-Adjusting Articial- Leg Supporter; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specitication, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of said supporter. Fig. 2 is a front "iew of the same, and Fig. 3 represents the supporter as unlaced and opened out.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

My invention consists in the combination of a vest with a series of straps passing to the leg or a band secured around said artiticial leg, whereby the tension of the different straps or portions of the strap is rendered uniform, and the supporter becomes self-adj listing, the entire weight of the artificial limb being supported from the shoulders. At the same time the movements of the body are unobstructed.

In the drawings, a is a suitable vest, adapted to the size of the person wearing the artificial leg. b b are the arm-holes in the same, and c is a lacing which may be employed to unite the front edges of this vest and form thereby a corset or body-brace of the vest itself.

dis a band to be laced rmly around thc upper part of the artificial limb, and carrying rings or attachments for the straps that pass to the vest a, or said rings or attachments might be made upon the leg itself, if desired. I make use of the strap c that is passed alternately up and down and through rings or buckles on the vest and band alternately'. This strap e commences with a double portion at l l, in which are elastic portions 2 2. Thence said strap passes through an eye, ring, or buckle, 3, on a, thence through the ring 4 on d, and up again through 5 on a, and, dei scending, passes through 6, on d. These parts can always remain with the strap e passed through the various eyes or rings to the ring 6, as in Fi 3. However, after the vest ct has been put on the strap cis to be passed through the ring 7 and drawn up with the required force and buckled at 8.

The strap c might be led in the dilection indicated by the dotted line to cause the pull thereof to be more in the direction of the shoulder-pieces of the vest a., if desired; and where this supporter is used with an artificial limb that is short, or is only applied to the lower limb, the band d is to extend to such artificial limb, or any other suitable connection may be provided from the straps e to said articial limb.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Thc vest a., connected to and combined with the artificial leg by means of the strap e, passed up and down through rings or eyes on the respective parts, so as to support the leg and produce a self adjustment, as specified.

In witness whereof` I have hereunto set my signature this 11th day of November. 1864. J. IY. VESTON. Witnesses:

JOHN F. GRAY, LEMUEL XV. SERRELL. 

